Open Water Panic

[EBD]

Hi everyone -
Thanks for all the posts, they really do make me feel better!

That's an interesting question, Kiwi Girl, and I'll have to think about it. The unfamiliar wetsuit was probably part of it - I think I may buy a used one at the end of the season so I can have plenty of practice before next time. It was not a very crowded start, as races go - maybe only 30 or 40 novices. But it was a misty morning and so the far bouy (turn-around) was barely visible, perhaps not at all from the start - so it felt like I was never going to get there! That was the big difference from all the sprints I've done; with the sprint distance, you can see the whole course and it looks manageable.

I knew I should have practiced in the open water this summer, and was too lazy. My coach also admonished me to practice in the pool by closing my eyes when they were underwater, to simulate the opaque lake water- and I did this *a little* but, you know . . . it's just no fun! But now I know that will be my most important training for next year!

But, if you notice, I'm already talking about next time - so I guess I am not permanently traumatized!

Thanks again y'all.

[Bluetree]

Congrats!
I have the same trepidations about the OWS. As a child I almost drowned in some riptides and had to pulled out by a lfieguard. I consider myself a decent lap swimmer but stepping back into the ocean was another animal altogether.
So... to help me ease into next year's triathlons, my BF suggested I go watch him start off in this year's L.A. Tri (I usually just wait at the finish). No problem, he said. I can watch everyone take off and see how easy it's done.
Well, it was cold and miserable and the waves looked like this:

[Bluetree]

At the start of each age group, the crowd en masse ran towards the surf like a tide of lemmings, half of them getting flattened or sent tumbling back onto shore. (My friend Henrik actaully took those shots). After watching this, I think I will try out some lake-swims first. Eeesh!

[Running Mommy]

Yipes bluetree that looks like the solana beach or imperial beach I did a few months ago!!!

Now to answer the question... YES!! I freak out! And I used to SURF!! Do a search on the triathlon forum from my IMAZ experience and you will see some true OW freaking out! I was beside myself. It was scary. The weird thing for me is that it just happens every once in awhile???
But the other weird thing as that I always get through it. Just know that it will happen, and you WILL get through it!

And congrats on your race!
Be iron!!
Denise

[Tri Girl]

Holy carp, Bluetree!!!!! That might send me with my wetsuit tucked under my hind legs running back to my car. I've never ocean OWS, and the thought of the salt alone icks me out (because I always swallow water), not to mention tackling waves like that! Yikes!
Good thing the nearest ocean is 9 hours away. I'll stick to icky green lake swims, thank you very much!

Oh, and great job on the oly!

[DirtDiva]

It might not be a bad idea to have a little bit more coaching too. Obviously it will improve your swimming and your confidence in your abilities, but it also gives you more knowledge of technique stuff you can focus on instead of the thoughts you don't want to be thinking. Maybe it will be less effective in a panic/fear situation, but I find that focus very handy for getting the "this is hard/I'm tired/why am I doing this?" thoughts out of the way.

[Bluetree]

Holy carp, Bluetree!!!!! That might send me with my wetsuit tucked under my hind legs running back to my car. I've never ocean OWS, and the thought of the salt alone icks me out (because I always swallow water), not to mention tackling waves like that! Yikes!
Good thing the nearest ocean is 9 hours away. I'll stick to icky green lake swims, thank you very much

I asked four buddies how they dealt with those waves.
Two of them waited a few minutes and were able to get past the break between sets (as surfers, they were familiar with swell patterns.)
The other two were after Top 5 placings and dived right in. One of them, a USAT coach, explained that when the waves are that choppy, it pretty much churns all the way to the bottom, making simple dive-thrus harder. He dived straight through to the bottom, to the point where his chest touched the ground and he actually grabbed onto the sandy bottom and pulled his way the through.
All of them, no matter how seasoned, said that the waves were so choppy past the breakwater that they couldn't help but swallow seawater. Yuk.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread... but getting back to the original post, EBD brings up a good point. I think I will have to start training in a wetsuit to get comfortable. I didn't even think of it as an issue until I started reading this.

[Bella]

It is race jitters. I do fine in OWS not in competition but the minute I hear the gun, my heart rate is through the roof and I cannot swim to save my life. In the Half Ironman I did in August, I turned over and backstroked the entire 1.2 - allowing myself to breathe the whole way.

Believe it or not, I had a PB in swimming that day. I think it is more about race confidence than your swim skills. Stage fright almost. The cure is repetition. I read a great quote somewhere that said, "You trained a long, hard time not to end up a wall flower in your triathlon - so put the doubts aside and do it."

[tygab]

Congrats!
I have the same trepidations about the OWS. As a child I almost drowned in some riptides and had to pulled out by a lfieguard. I consider myself a decent lap swimmer but stepping back into the ocean was another animal altogether.
So... to help me ease into next year's triathlons, my BF suggested I go watch him start off in this year's L.A. Tri (I usually just wait at the finish). No problem, he said. I can watch everyone take off and see how easy it's done.
Well, it was cold and miserable and the waves looked like this:

Ummmmm, yeah.... I don't think any amt of money would cause me to go in that mess. I have no tri experience so I am just interloping here, but I do not enjoy ocean swimming at all. Maybe it's because I grew up in the midwest and my only childhood memories of the ocean are me getting knocked over by it. Anyway I could hardly imagine an ocean swim as part of a tri. A bay, maybe, but ocean like that??

[cheleB]

Congrats on your first Oly. That's my plan for next year and my only hold back is the swim! I did my first sprint 2 yrs ago and had a terrible swim experience. It took the entire winter of coached masters' swimming to get over. Coach told me his was glad his original college major was psych! The in-water panic attacks came back in the spring when I got back into OW. I trained with a great and very supportive group and learned to love OW. The best tip I got was to sing while I swim! It's a great distraction. I even did an OWS in a pond last Sunday, north of Boston and it was in the 50s. That is how much I love OW right now!

Getting back in the pool now, the attacks are back! Tuesday night, I freaked but calmed myself and finished the work-out. But last night, the panic hit in my Masters session. I totally freaked and got out of the pool! I had to wait an hour for hubby to finish! Coach offered to do a one-on-one today! I am so anxious!

Sorry, I have no advice but I feel your pain!